The Secret Life Of Bees Setting Analysis

Imagine picking up and leaving the only town you’ve ever known. Imagine changing your last name and living with total strangers. Imagine going to the total unknown. It sounds crazy but Lily Williams did all this and didn’t look back. “On leaving the old nest, the swarm normally flies only a few metres and settles. Scout bees look for a suitable place to start the new colony. Eventually, one location wins favor and the whole swarm takes to the air.” Lily Williams left her nest in search for a suitable place to start her new colony much like the bees did. The setting where Lily starts out at and end at are significant to shaping the rest of the novel. The setting impacts the character’s actions and beliefs, the plot, and the overall theme of the novel. In The Secret Life of Bees Sue Monk Kidd’s creation of setting in towns across South Carolina help unfold the entire story. The setting impacts all characters tremendously especially Lily. Lily starts out living with her abusive father after she accidentally shot and killed her mother. Lily had a home that did not feel like home. Jokes about leaving were always passed between Lily and the slave her father hired to take care of her. It was all fun and games until Lily got sick of the way she was treated. It was time to actually do something and
Lily has changed from the beginning of this novel to the end by the way she grows up and presents herself stronger than before. The places she goes shape her actions, feelings, and much more. In the first setting, Lily is miserable and just goes through the motions of everyday life. In the second setting, Lily is brought more to life. Even though hiding her true identity, Lily becomes happier and more free in a better environment herself. In The Secret Life of Bees Sue Monk Kidd’s creation of setting in towns across South Carolina help unfold the entire